Seven Huntington High School artists are displaying work at the High Arts Festival XX.
Seven Huntington High School artists are displaying work at the High Arts Festival XX.

Huntington Artists on Exhibit at High Arts Showcase

April 2, 2024

Seven Huntington High School student-artists are currently exhibiting work at the Huntington Arts Council’s High Arts Showcase XX at the Main Street Gallery in the village.

The exhibit, which will run through April 21, showcases the work of several dozen gifted junior and senior artists from eight Long Island school districts that participate in the Huntington Arts Council’s Journey program, “which fosters the appreciation of cultural diversity through the arts.”

The exhibit features a wide range of work across various media forms that include oil, watercolor, digital photography, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, fabric and collage. A reception is planned for April 12 from 4-7 p.m. at the Main Street Gallery.

The seven Huntington students with pieces on display in the showcase are joined by top artists from the Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Harborfields, Kings Park, Northport-East Northport, South Huntington and Plainview-Old Bethpage school districts.

The Huntington High School artists with pieces on display include:

Reese Rinaldi

Teacher: Pam Piffard

Medium: Digital Photograph

Title: Under Construction

Artist’s Statement:

Hello! My name is Reese Rinaldi and I m a senior a Huntington High School. I am a three sport varsity athlete and a member of several different clubs at my school, however my favorite activity is photography. I have been enrolled in photo classes since my sophomore year, but my love for taking pictures started when I was around eight. Over nine years later I have never put down a camera. I love taking pictures of anything and everything and am extremely proud and excited over my photography journey.

The picture you are looking at is a small piece of my large collection of reconstructed portraits. I have been experimenting with different ways of utilizing Photoshop, tactile work and my camera to create reconstructed images. I am attempting to show different aspects of an image by looking past a connected picture and breaking it down for a more creative interpretation. The end result has become a series of pieces that is cohesive yet holds a uniqueness in each piece.

Jack Semelsberger

Teacher: Pam Piffard

Medium: Digital Photography

Title: Hephaestus

Artist’s Statement:

Hi my name is Jack Semelsberger, I’m a senior at Huntington High School. I joined the photo program at the high school my sophomore year, however I’ve always had a passion for photography. Since I joined photography classes at the high school, I’ve really been able to grow and develop as a photographer and an artist as a whole. I’m very excited to continue my photography journey throughout the end of my time at the high school.

My photograph on display is one part of a photographic series and exploration I’m conducting. This series is an exploration of the Greek myths under a modern interpretation, attempting to capture the themes and stories of these ancient models in today’s world. Using a blend of literal and figurative symbols, this photograph encapsulates the story of Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and creation. My interpretation of Hephaestus is seen carrying a hammer lit on fire. This represents both his ideas of fire and forgery.

Isabella Careccia-Johnson

Teacher: Ayallah Jeddah

Class - Ceramics and Sculpture 2

Title: Imprisoned

Artist’s Statement:

My sculpture, “Imprisoned,” encapsulates a sense of anxiety that is omnipresent, so poignant it suffocates the soul. To develop my intended message, I chose to wrap silver and gold wires across my figure, which serve both a literal and metaphorical purpose. Not only do they attach the body to the platform, but they trap the figure so it cannot escape its tormenting thoughts.

I wanted my form to be out of balance, which is why the body is tilting heavily to one side. I emphasized this disharmony through my steel platform, constructed on an angle to portray my internal conflicts. My creative process was frustrating but also cathartic, a fusion of painstaking precision and self-expression.

Early on I was consumed with perfection, setting an impossible standard for myself. When I felt dissatisfied with my design, I would take it as a sign of failure, causing a tremendous amount of self-doubt. In hindsight, I think these challenges were beneficial, and dare I say, necessary. My struggles graced me with the gift of fresh inspiration, giving me new outlets to pull from when others had dried up. Ultimately, they are the link from my art to my soul; concerned, vulnerable, and trepidatious.

Cristel Hernandez

Teacher: Kim Valerio

Title: Enchanted Forest

Class: Fashion 3

Artist’s Statement:

I decided to name my dress “Enchanted Forest.” As you can see, I decided to use a green fabric that is sheer with a white underlay. I did this because it would make the green color show up more. The top is made with gold grommets and a green ribbon similar to the color of the dress.

For the skirt I did an overlay where you can wear the white underneath only, or tie on the skirt however you desire. I also chose to use fake gold butterflies to make it more vibrant. The gold butterflies give it an enchanted look. This is exactly what I was expecting it to look like and I wouldn’t change a thing on it. I wanted to portray a calm and peaceful space, which an enchanted forest could represent.

I wish that you all can see the vision and feel calm and peaceful when looking at this dress.

Anibella Fazin

Teacher: Kristin Singer

Title: The “Cian” To My Heart

Class: Drawing & Painting

Artist’s Statement:

Throughout my artistic career I have never felt as deeply connected and attached to an artwork as I am with this piece “The ‘Cian’ To My Heart” that I have created. The theory about falling in love is always something we wonder, that if it will come upon us in life and when. My first ever love has always been creating art and with this piece I have been able to combine my love for art and the love of my life, Cian (pronounced “Key-In”), my boyfriend.

The title of this work is a play on words that represents the playfulness in our relationship as we are both two young teenagers growing everyday into life together. This piece also captured his fun, loving character that I adore so much and how he makes life so precious.

In preparation for the colored pencil drawing I was hesitant with my work, but I ended up experimenting with projecting various colored lights on my model. I created a portrait that combines the joy of my relationship depicting intense colored lighting with the use of bright complimentary colored pencil strokes to capture the illuminating lights along with the character of my subject matter.

Sebastian Ramirez

Teacher: Kasmira Mohanty

Digital Illustration

Title: Still Here Waiting

Artist’s Statement:

I want to elicit connectivity with my art. I wish to invoke emotions such as wonder, sadness, curiosity, happiness, loneliness, and humor. I create bridges between my art and the viewer by creatively reimaging people, places, and things. I continually strive to create environments the viewer can dive into.

My piece “Still Here Waiting” encompasses the aforementioned. The placement of the man in the center immediately makes you wonder who he is, what is he waiting for, why is he alone, and whether anyone is looking for him or if he is looking for someone or waiting for something to happen. What do you think the story is?

Natalie Parrott

Teacher: Kristin Singer

Title:  “Makeover”

Medium:  Acrylic paint

Artist’s Statement:

My work was inspired by my experience as a teenage girl. I feel that the prevalence of social media and the growing importance of maintaining a certain image has led to toxic, even manipulative dynamics between teenage girls.

When we are younger, we give each other makeovers by using lip gloss and Barbie hair brushes. Now, makeovers consist of dying our hair and telling each other what plastic surgery we would want to get. In some cases, girls will tell their friends what they should change about themselves. This concept is what I have tried to convey through my artwork titled “makeover.” In this piece, a girl with dyed hair and a more revealing outfit is drawing lines on an blond girl’s face, representing plastic surgery lines. Though the red haired girl appears more confident through her clothes and bold hair, you can tell from her posture and the lines on her face that she is incredibly unconfident. The blond haired girl represents a sense of innocence. She is overtaken by her admiration of the red haired girl, which is seen through her expression and the way she is leaning on the red haired girl’s hand. However, she is blissfully ignoring the toxic nature of their friendship. She has neutral colored hair, is dressed more modestly and seems more relaxed, showing that she doesn't feel as insecure as the red haired girl yet.

I liked coming up with this concept because I was able to use some of my own experience to create a meaningful piece.